Stranger, Pt 1
by Mara-DragonMaster
Summary: Beginning of Season Five. A mission to a supposedly uninhabited planet holds several surprises for Sheppard and his team when they run across someone who claims to be from Earth.
1. Chapter 1

_Stargate Atlantis_

_Season 5, Episode 1_

"_**Stranger, Pt 1"**_

* * *

It was one of those regular, everyday, nondescript missions that Rodney McKay and Teyla seemed to enjoy so much; even Sheppard liked them, for the most part. Unless he was bored. Fortunately, this was not one of those days. Teyla smiled beautifully at the village's leader and thanked him, accepting the scroll he held out to her, detailing their trade agreement. Ronon stood by the door, itching to go, his usual bundle of pent-up energy. When Teyla stood so did Rodney and John Sheppard, and they contentedly exited the home and made their way out of the village, heading down the main dirt road. "You know, I love these missions." John announced once they'd hit trees and thick, lush undergrowth. "Pretty planet, nice people–"

"Potential new medicines." Rodney piped up.

"That." John agreed. "Easy negotiations, and–" he raised his finger as they walked. "No Wraith!" He smiled, decidedly pleased.

The moment they stepped out of the event horizon they were greeted by Samantha Carter, smiling as she stepped forward. "Colonel."

"Sam."

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "I take it negotiations went well." She said, indicating his pleased smile and relaxed stance.

"They are more than willing to trade with us." Teyla said, answering for John. "Their medicines for any help we can give them technologically. Particularly in the area of agriculture."

"Yes." John agreed. "Those beans _must_ be harvested."

Sam's mouth curved slightly in amusement, but she quickly returned to business. "Major Lorne and his team just returned from a reconnaissance mission to planet P8X-450, where they think they may have found a ZPM; there's an Ancient outpost there. I think you should check it out."

John glanced at her sideways. "Any reason why Lorne can't?"

"A member of his team broke their ankle; apparently the terrain is somewhat… treacherous."

"Just checking." He tipped his chin in the direction of the Gate. "When do you want us to leave?"

"Now."

John looked at her. "That soon, huh?"

She smiled.

"Alright," John announced, waving his hand at his team. "Let's head back out."

"Um, where, exactly, is this ZPM supposed to be located?" Rodney asked, raising one hand.

"About two miles north of the Gate." Nodding at the team, Sam turned and headed out of the Gate room.

–SGA–

The even horizon disappeared behind them with a loud whine and _whoosh_, and then all was still and silent. Before them stretched a great expanse of jungle-like terrain, with large trees standing tall and silent, draped in robes of moss and vines with soft-petaled white flowers. The air was heavy, and filled with a thick scent of moisture and damp earth and growing things. The sky overhead was overcast and grey with low clouds, and a blanket of mist hung over everything, sticky and impossible to see through.

Rodney pulled some electronic gadget from his pocket and studied it. His brows drew together, and he pushed a few buttons, then finally smacked it with his palm. "Hm."

"What?" John asked.

"My sensor's all screwed up." The scientist pushed a few more buttons. "I can't make heads or tails of these readings– it's like the signal's been scrambled." Looking up, an expression of understanding dawned on Rodney's face, quickly replaced by one of resignation and annoyance. "This planet's a dead zone."

Ronon glanced at him. "A what?"

"A dead zone," Rodney answered, turning and gesturing with his hand. "Basically the magnetic fields of this planet are such that no electronic device will work here."

"So," John squinted his eyes as he glanced around. "No radios?"

"No radios." Rodney confirmed. "And no energy signatures."

"Well, Sam _did_ say the ZPM was two miles north."

"Great. Now which way _is_ north? No compass either."

There was a momentary pause, and then Ronon heaved a sigh and pushed his way forward. Ignoring Rodney's complaints as the scientist rubbed his shoulder, he crouched down in the dirt before John and studied the ground, his gaze dark with concentration. With one finger he reached out and gently traced something. Then he looked up, and his eyes were sparkling with satisfaction. "This way."

John smiled, and started to follow as Ronon stood up and began to walk.

"Oh." Rodney glanced at Teyla as she passed, and she smiled at him. "Of course, I was just about to suggest that."

It was not hard to follow the trail left by Major Lorne and his team, though the ground_was_ dangerously slick with mud and rotting vegetation, and Ronon sometimes had to stop and study the tracks for a moment when they would disappear in the moss covered ground. During one such pause Ronon's head suddenly whipped up, staring into the trees just as a bird rose into the air with an echoing stutter of surprise. John watched it fly away, then glanced down. Ronon was still staring into the trees. Every muscle seemed tense and ready to spring.

"What is it?" John asked, keeping his voice down.

Ronon didn't answer at first, his eyes burning a hole into the understory of ferns and vines veiled in drooping mist. Teyla held her gun to her shoulder in the direction of his gaze, her eyes sliding between him and the trees with trepidation. Rodney stood frozen, hands outstretched, trying not to breathe. Finally Ronon relaxed and stood, though he still gazed into the trees with wariness.

"Everything okay?" John questioned.

"Yeah." The big Satedan looked down at him. "Thought I saw something." He tipped his head, dreadlocks swinging down his back.

Without a word John followed, though the back of his neck was prickling. Behind him he heard Rodney release a heavy breath, and then mutter: "I _hate_ it when he does that."

A few minutes later they arrived at a large structure built under a hill. The immense metal doors were open, evidence of scuffed boot prints in the mud and dirt before them, remains of vines and hanging moss littering the ground where Lorne and his team had cleared the doors of their foliage. There was a particularly large gouge in the mud beside one of the doors, and mud along the bottom edge of the door where Lorne's team member had slipped and caught his foot, snapping his ankle. A look of sympathy crossed Teyla's face as they passed by and into the underground structure.

"They got this far, why didn't they just grab the ZPM and bring it back with them?" Rodney exclaimed ahead of her, somewhere in the darkened interior.

"Maybe they couldn't find it." John's voice suggested.

"Please. How hard is it to find a ZPM?"

She could not see it, but Teyla could feel Ronon's eyes turning toward Rodney's voice in mild amusement.

"About as hard as it is to find a light switch?" John's voice offered helpfully.

There was a sigh. "Alright. Point taken. Just give me a minute to– ah! Here we go."

A moment later Teyla's sight was returned to her as light flickered throughout the interior. Running horizontally down the center of each wall was a channel of some sort, filled with oil and dancing flame. Rodney, who was standing near the doorway, tossed away a match, pleased with himself. "Well, this does appear to be of Ancient design– but something's not quite right– no, it looks more like someone mimicked Ancient design–"

Ronon, his eyes flickering over the room, turned. "Why would there be a ZPM on a planet like this?"

Rodney looked at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"You said electronic things don't work here."

"Oh! Right. Well, obviously they must have found a way to make something work, or maybe they were in the process of trying to make it work."

John squinted one eye. "Make _it_ work?"

"Yeah, you know," Rodney waved his hand. "Whatever they were working on."

"Uh huh." John eyed him one last time, then glanced around. "Alright, lets check it out, see if we find anything."

There were not many rooms, and each one had the same lighting system of oil and fire running along channels in the walls. The team split up, but not for long. A few minutes later John, Ronon, and Teyla met again in the main room.

"Nothing." John said.

"Same here." Teyla confirmed.

"This whole place is empty." Ronon said. He looked bored. "There's nothing here, Sheppard."

Just then Rodney's voice echoed through the air. "Guys! I found it!"

They found him in the last room, standing in the doorway and proudly holding a ZPM. "This," he declared smugly, pointing over his shoulder. "Was their storage facility. There's not much left but dust and cobwebs, but they did leave behind a small crate, and in the crate are _two more_ ZPMs."

"This is great!" John peered over Rodney's shoulder and down at the ZPM he held. "Let's gather them up and head back to Atlantis."

"Yes, well, there's just– one more thing."

"What?"

Rodney's face suddenly seemed a little less pleased, and possibly a little nervous. Leading them into the room, he pointed to the corner. There was an SGA bedroll, laid out and obviously slept in, several packs– all but one now empty– and a small pile of burned up matches. "Anyone been going out on any secret camping trips?" Rodney asked flippantly, though his voice was tight.

John glanced around, fingers securing themselves around his gun, though he did not bring it to his shoulder. "Now is everyone _sure_ they did not see anything during the search of the place?"

Teyla and Ronon shook their heads. "As we said before," Teyla answered. "The rooms are empty."

"Alright, then." John pulled in his bottom lip in concentration. "Rodney, gather up the ZPMs. Then let's see what we can find."

"What?" Rodney stared at him in disbelief. "You're not seriously suggesting we go traipsing through that jungle out there searching for who knows who or what?"

"That's exactly what I'm suggesting."

"We don't have radios!"

"Which is why we're staying together as a group." John said, his tone patient as it always was when explaining things to Rodney.

"What if something happens?"

"Rodney, those are Stargate personnel packs. Even the bedroll has the SG insignia. For all we know it could be one of our guys out there."

"You don't know that! Besides, there's no one missing from Atlantis!" Rodney exclaimed. "And even if they were from Atlantis, why wouldn't they have just Gated home?"

"Look, I don't know!" John admitted. "But I think it would be wise to find out, don't you?"

Rodney fell silent, grasping for a logical reason that would soundly contradict John. Teyla glanced between the two men. "Rodney," she said calmly and soothingly. "Would it not be wise to discover how someone came into possession of these items, if they are indeed not one of our own?"

Ronon checked his gun. "Could be a threat."

Rodney glanced around, then groaned in defeat. "Fine." He conceded. "I'll get the ZPMs."

–SGA–

They had been trekking through the mist-shrouded jungle for the better part of thirty minutes, slipping in the mud and moss and clambering over rocks and immense fallen trees. Rodney, pack laden with the three ZPMs, had surprisingly kept silent the first fifteen minutes, but upon his twentieth slip the blessed quiet was disturbed and had been ever since. Ronon scouted ahead of the group, but as yet had found no tracks.

"The ground is terribly wet." Teyla observed finally. "Perhaps it has rained recently and washed the trail away?"

"I would say that is a distinct possibility." John agreed, grimacing as his boots made horrible squelching noises with every step.

A twig broke, and in the silence of the woods it seemed to crack like a gunshot and echo around them. Four guns whipped up, one decidedly less steady than the others. "What was that?" Rodney whispered, his eyes wide as he held his handgun before him with trembling hands.

No one answered, scanning the woods with their eyes. For what seemed like forever there was nothing, and then suddenly Ronon saw movement between two trees, and without any warning he rushed forward.

"Ronon!" John yelled, but the Satedan ignored him, weaving around trees as a figure darted out from its place of cover. Grunting, John took off after both, and heard Teyla just behind and Rodney's "Oh, come on!" as the scientist tried to keep up.

Though the mist made it hard to see anything clearly Ronon could make out the figure of someone, a human, running away from him. The human was about Teyla's size, and was running for all they were worth. He could hear their gasps for breath as they stumbled in the mud and continued, somehow managing to stay ahead of him, if only for a short while, darting around trees and over roots, using the landscape to their advantage. Sometimes he lost them in the mist, but he always found them again, and he was gaining. Their legs strained as he drew closer, trying to stay ahead of him, but his legs were longer. He could see more clearly who it was he chased: a woman, in military pants and a dark tank top– damp with sweat from her flight. With a yell he dove forward, catching her around the waist, and there was a cry as they sailed through the air and landed, sliding in the mud in a tangle of arms and legs. The woman beneath him yelled and struggled to break free, and a fist suddenly swung down and crashed into the side of his head. Ronon's grip loosened, and she pulled out and turned to her hands and knees, slipping and sliding as she moved away, trying to gain her feet. Shaking his head, Ronon growled and grabbed her ankle, twisting as a foot aimed for his face and narrowly missed. Keeping his grip he rose to his knees, only to have a handful of cold, slimy, gritty mud hit him in the eyes, making them sting and water. Refusing to let go he shook his head angrily, wiping at the mud with his free hand till he could see, only to find a body directly before him and two hands, in black fingerless gloves, fisted together and swinging in at his head. His head exploded as he fell to one side, and the foot wrenched itself from his grasp. Growling, Ronon once more pushed himself to his knees as the woman scrambled away, and as she made it to her feet and started to run he leapt forward and crashed into her, throwing them face first into the mud once more. There was shouting in two distinct languages, fingers pulling at his dreadlocks and clawing at his face, knees attempting to drive into him, but this time Ronon laid fully upon her with all of his weight, and managing to catch the clawing hands he pushed them to the ground and held them there, on either side, slowly grinding them into the mud. The body strained under him, but could not move.

There was enraged shouting– cursing at him, he presumed– and then, energy spent, the woman fell silent, her ribcage heaving as she fought for breath, adrenalin making the pulse pound in her neck and her skin grow hot and flushed. She glared at him with narrowed, dark eyes, full lips baring white teeth as she pulled in breath.

Ronon glared down at her, blinking away grit and tasting blood and foul mud on his tongue. "You done?" he growled.

She stared at him, then her face twisted and she bucked. "Get _off_ me!" she demanded.

Ronon tightened his hold on her, gritting his teeth. Glaring at him again she jerked her head, attempting to fling a muddy tendril of black hair from her face.

There was the sound of fast, heavy footsteps, and the sound of Rodney gasping.

"Everything okay?" John asked somewhere behind him.

Still glaring down at the equally unhappy woman, Ronon gritted. "Yeah."

John tipped his head, eyeing his almost unrecognizable teammate, covered from head to toe in brown mud and moss– smeared across his face and dripping from the ends of his dreadlocks. Ronon did not look happy.

Beneath him, trapped and secure, was an equally befouled young woman, full lips pressed together and dark eyes narrowed and trying to burn twin holes into the Satedan's face despite the lock of dark hair lying over her face. "Do you promise not to run?" John asked her.

"Only if he lets _go_ of me." She snapped, bucking to emphasize the word 'go.'

"Okay. Ronon?"

For a moment there was nothing as Ronon and the woman glared at each other, then Ronon let go of her wrists and pushed himself to his feet. The woman gave him a withering look as she stiffly pushed herself into a sitting position, and then she slowly stood, stretching her back and shoulders and grabbing the offending tendril of hair and throwing it off.

John studied her, noting her military pants. "So," he said. "I take it it's your camp back at the underground structure."

She glanced at him.

"You– care to tell us who you are?"

Her dark eyes flickered over each member of the team. "You are part of– SGA? Like the badges on the packs?" she asked.

John shifted. "Maybe." He hedged.

"I found them here and there on different planets. Usually where there seemed to have been a fight." Wiping a hand across her face she smeared the mud. "Sorry if I took your things."

"Do not be." Teyla assured her.

"Yeah, sometimes we kinda have to abandon our packs and things when we're being chased." John agreed, and was rewarded with a hint of amusement in the dark eyes.

"Yes, yes, yes, this is all fine and dandy," Rodney announced in annoyance, bent over and still trying to catch his breath. "But you didn't actually answer our question."

Running a gloved hand up and down her right arm, she glanced at the SG team, and shifted her weight. "Are you from Earth?" she asked.

No one answered. John looked unsure, Ronon dark and menacing. Teyla simply waited, patiently.

"I'm Alex." She finally said. Her eyes darted among them. "Alexandra Maria Hinata."

John tipped his chin. "_That's_ an Earth name." He observed.

"But how?" Rodney asked. "She's not from personnel! She couldn't have come here from Atlantis. So how– did– she– get– here?"

"She could be lying." Ronon said, pulling out his gun and holding it in both hands; but he kept it pointed at the ground.

Teyla held up her hand. "Perhaps– we should let her explain, first."

"I would appreciate that. Thank you." The woman crossed her arms and stood with her feet slightly spread, settling into a comfortable stance.

"Okay." John eyed her. "Explain."

She stared at him for a moment, and then laughed as though in disbelief. "You got a few hours?"

John pressed his lips together, and glanced up at the sky as a low, gentle roll of thunder filled the air in warning. "Maybe we should head back." He said. "Take her with us. That way, she'll only have to explain _once_." He tilted his head towards her by way of indicating his thoughtfulness.

A hint of nervousness entered her eyes, though her expression never changed. "You sure?"

"Well, you _did_ take our packs without asking." John said, shrugging his shoulders. Then he glanced at her. "Shall we return to the base and gather your belongings?"

She nodded. "Just one pack. That one _is_ mine."

He nodded. "Then lets head back, and then we'll go on to the Gate."

"Oh, finally." Rodney groaned in relief.

Ronon waited until Alex, giving him a glance from the corner of her eye, walked past him, following the rest of the team. Then he fell into step behind her.

"Mono estúpido grande." she muttered. _Big, stupid ape._

A snort burst from Rodney before he could catch it, and John glanced back at her with a bemused look on his face.

–SGA–

Sam stepped up behind John, blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. She glanced into the interrogation room and watched the young woman, who had been sitting, heave a sigh and stand up to wander. She had been allowed to shower, with an escort, of course, and she now wore a loose, blue SGA uniform, her dark hair hanging wet down her back. She still wore her gloves, having washed them in the sink.

John glanced at Sam, then returned his gaze to the room. "She says she's from Earth." He stated.

"So I heard." Sam watched as the dark haired woman walked slowly around the table, staring up at the ceiling and swinging her arms. "She tell you anything else?"

John shook his head. "Nah. It was starting to rain, so we packed up and came back here. Figured that way she can tell everybody at once."

Sam nodded, then took a deep breath. "Ready?"

He turned and smiled. "We were just waiting on you."

Alex turned as Sam opened the door and John followed with his team. Being suddenly confronted with so many grave faces she took a step back, watching them warily. Sam offered her a smile, and held out her hand. "Please," she said. "Sit."

Alex sat down, her eyes never leaving them, and she rested her arms on the table.

As everyone else sat down as well around the table, Sam folded her hands on its surface. "Colonel Sheppard tells me you're from Earth."

"Yes."

"Can you prove it?"

For a moment she didn't answer, then her eyes fell on Ronon who watched her with an expression somewhere between amused unbelief and distrust. Dark eyes narrowing, some extra measure of confidence entered her gaze, and Alex turned to direct her answer to Sam and John. "In 1997 the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, 35-21. George W. Bush was the President last I heard, and in 2005 Brad Pitt broke up with Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson and Nick Lache broke up, and the U.S. was hit with Hurricane Katrina."

Sam nodded, her face neutral. "Okay." she conceded. "But all of that _is_ public knowledge."

"To who in _this_ galaxy?" John asked in subdued surprise.

"Also in 2005 a Goa'uld by the name of Baal hid himself on Earth in Seattle to escape the Jaffa, and when you guys found him he planted a bomb and threatened to set it off if anyone went after him."

The room grew silent. Sam straightened, her lips pressing together. John shared a look with his teammates. "How do you know this?" Sam asked, her expression closed.

"Because," Alex said, and her voice grew tight. "That's where I was when he took me for a host."

Rodney's eyes grew large, and he pulled back in his chair in undisguised horror. "What?" he gasped.

Alex dropped her head with a sigh, and then she sat back, making herself comfortable. "I was a student at the University of Washington-Seattle. I majored in Biology, with an emphasis on Botany, and was going for my Graduate's. To pay for college I modeled part-time. There was this fashion show, a big one, and they put my face on all of the advertisements. After the show I went out the back way to go to my car, and– I was grabbed." she smiled, but it was tight. "Apparently Baal had seen my picture and liked what he saw."

There was silence as she paused, glancing around, trying to read the faces staring back at her. She sighed.

"What Baal didn't know was that the Goa'uld he stuck me with had plans of her own; she wanted to rule, and over the next year carefully planned a take-over with a few others, with the understanding that she was the one in charge." Her smooth face never changed its expression, but her dark eyes grew black with memory, the muscles tightening around them. "She failed. She had too little support, and had to run– somehow she brought us to this galaxy. It was the only place Baal wouldn't find her." She shook her head, and a small laugh escaped her. "That Goa'uld was as stupid as she was arrogant." She muttered.

Sam frowned. "Explain."

"We went straight from the frying pan into the fire." Alex answered. "The _first_ planet she took us to was occupied by Wraith. We were caught before we'd even realized the danger– she jumped out of me, trying to save her own skin and leave me, but the second command of the Hive ship parked there shot her before she got very far." Her eyes tightened again, more noticeably this time. "When I woke up I was in some kind of room. They tried to feed on me but– they stopped. They put a tracking device in my back and let me go."

Rodney's face paled as the possible consequences jumped into his mind.

"It's gone." She reassured him. "I managed to find a doctor in a small village who was able to take it out. I moved around after that; the Wraith still wanted me. Apparently the second in command who had let me go fell into– disfavor– because he'd given up a valuable source of information. Then I discovered the planet _you_ found me on; I discovered nothing electrical worked there, which meant that if they scanned the planet for life signs they couldn't find me. So I stayed." Her story finished, Alex waited, her fingers subconsciously playing with themselves as she tried to read their reactions.

Sam and John glanced at each other, and everyone else glanced at everyone else. Their expressions were pensive, and grave, thoughts racing in every set of eyes but one– and his green eyes held her dark ones with a steady, solid gaze that was both unnerving and puzzling at the same time.

"That is– some story." John finally commented.

Sam nodded, and stood. "We should check it out immediately." Turning, she addressed Alex. "If your story is true, we should be able to verify it."

"That's it?" Rodney exclaimed. "We're just going to check some Earth records and be done with it? She was a _host_, or am I the only one who heard that?"

"We'll do an MRI scan." Sam said. Her tone was firm, with just enough of a warning in it to make Rodney silence his complaints. "Until then you'll be kept under guard and in a holding cell. You understand."

Alex nodded, though she did look crestfallen. "I do. I understand."

Sam nodded. "Alright. Dismissed."

As everyone left and the two guards standing at the door moved to escort Alex, John hurried after Sam, skipping slightly in his haste. "You don't really think she's still a host, do you?" he asked under his breath.

"No." Sam said, also keeping her voice low. "I didn't sense anything, but we'll still do an MRI to be safe."

–SGA–

Dr. Jennifer Keller put the scans on the light board, her back to the gathered SG team and Sam. "She's clean." She announced, turning to face them. "No Goa'uld."

"What about her other tests?" Sam asked.

"_All_ clean." Jennifer confirmed. "There's absolutely nothing abnormal about her, although she does carry the same protein marker as you, Colonel Carter."

Ronon frowned, his expression matching Teyla's. "Protein marker?" he questioned.

"When a Goa'uld leaves its host, it leaves behind a protein marker." Jennifer explained, moving her hands as she talked. "Probably why the Wraith made her a runner instead of feeding on her."

Teyla's eyes lit with understanding. "Because they couldn't."

Jennifer pointed her finger at Teyla. "Exactly."

John, leaning back in his plastic chair with one leg crossing the other and his arms folded, tipped his head. "So she was telling the truth."

"About being a host and a runner, at least." Rodney interjected, his expression thoughtful.

"Yeah, about that," John looked up at Sam standing beside him. "Any word?"

Sam nodded. "There was an Alexandra Maria Hinata enrolled as a Biology student at the University in Seattle, who disappeared four years ago after modeling in a fashion show."

"Were you able to find her family?" Teyla asked, clearly relieved that the woman's story was true.

There was a pause, Sam's expression falling. "Her father died of a heart attack last year."

The group fell silent.

"That sucks." Rodney whispered.

* * *

–SGA–

_To be continued…_

* * *

Cast (in order of appearance)

Colonel Samantha Carter………Amanda Tapping

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard………Joe Flanigan

Dr, Rodney McKay………David Hewlett

Teyla Emmagan………Rachel Luttrell

Ronon Dex………Jason Momoa

Alex Hinata………Jessica Alba

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

_Stargate Atlantis_

_Season 5, Episode 2_

"_**Stranger, Pt 2"**_

* * *

The city was quiet, bathed in blue moonlight and shadow. Alex sat on the edge of her bed in the holding cell, staring out into space, her face an expressionless mask and her eyes beholding nothing. The only thing that betrayed any sense of feeling were the tears that ran down her cheeks in never-ending streams. The guards stationed outside of her door would sometimes glance in through the small viewing window, and as time wore on their looks gradually became soft with sympathy. 

At what time her visitor came Alex didn't know, but it was late– very late– when she heard the quiet voice on the other side of the door asking how she was, and the equally quiet answer that brought the concerned eyes of her guest to the viewing window. When the door hissed open she didn't move. It was like she was paralyzed, physically and mentally unable to move.

John stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, chewing his lip, watching the frozen woman before him. When he had stood there for what seemed like forever and she still did not acknowledge his presence, he sighed and walked slowly over to the bed, and sat down beside her, hands braced on the edge of the mattress.

"I'm sorry." He said, his voice low and hushed in the silence.

Alex blinked.

"The SGC is looking into whether you have any– other surviving family members."

"I don't."

John looked at her.

Alex swallowed, blinking as more tears made their way down her glistening cheeks, and her head turned slightly in his direction, her eyes lowering. "My mom died in a car accident when I was fifteen."

"Isn't there anyone else?" John asked. "Grandparents? Uncles?"

She shook her head. "No. No one."

There was silence again. John gazed at her, eyes drawn in sympathy. "I know it's been four years," he offered. "But we're going to do everything we can to get your life back."

"I don't want it back." Alex looked up at the ceiling, blinking away her tears.

That was not the answer he had been expecting. "You don't?"

"No. I don't want to go back to Earth." She looked at him then, and her eyes were dark with emotion. "I mean– let's face it. What kind of a life could I make there after everything I've been through? Everything I've seen?"

John's lips pressed together in understanding.

"I have nothing left to go back to anymore." She said quietly.

Licking his lips, John dropped his eyes, thinking hard. "Well," he finally said. "In the morning– which is in about–" he checked his watch. "Two hours, we'll see what we can do."

She turned her head away from him, dark eyes filling as she glanced to the side.

"Hey," he drew her attention back to him, and he hoped the sincerity he felt showed in his face. "We're going to do everything we can to help you. Okay?"

Blinking, she nodded, then pressed a hand to her cheek as a few new tears spilled from her eye. A shudder ran through her shoulders.

John glanced down, then back up at her. "I recently lost my dad." He said quietly. "We– weren't on the best of terms, but–" he paused, biting his lip as he watched her. Hesitantly he laid his hand over hers on the mattress. To his surprise it was as though that touch was the invitation she'd been waiting for. Her breath hitching, Alex leaned sideways, tentatively tipping her head to rest the side of it on his shoulder. For a moment they sat there, unmoving, neither sure if they had just crossed the other's boundaries. Then John released her hand, slid his arm free, and settled it around her shoulders. Her body relaxed, and for a long while John just sat there with her.

–SGA–

Sam sat at the head of the conference table, her hands folded in her lap as she sat back, her lips pursed in thought.

"I think we should offer her a place here at Atlantis." John said, leaning across the table towards her, his voice and expression earnest.

"I agree." Teyla nodded, and offered a smile as she addressed Sam. "She has nowhere else to go, and she could be a great asset to us."

"Maybe." Rodney conceded. "If we needed information on the _Goa'uld_."

Ronon glanced around at his teammates.

John snapped his fingers. "What was she a student for again?"

Rodney frowned. "Botany, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah!" John turned to Sam again. "Don't we have something she could do in that department?"

Rodney's eyes lit up. "You know, Katie has been mentioning how she would like some help down in the lab."

Sam smiled patiently. "I know." She said. At the same time the door to the conference room hissed open, and Dr. Katie Brown entered, running her fingers through her red hair and looking slightly on edge at being called to a meeting. Sam nodded at her. "Dr. Brown."

Katie smiled nervously. "Colonel Carter." Her eyes found Rodney, and quickly dropped, a slight blush creeping into her cheeks.

John tipped his head and glanced at his scientist friend, and was amused to see Rodney shift in his seat and clear his throat, studiously avoiding eye contact with any of his teammates. John smiled.

"I've already spoken with Dr. Brown, and if she's willing, Alex will be her assistant down in the lab." Sam explained. She turned to John. "As long as she's positive she doesn't want to return to Earth."

"Oh, she's positive." John reassured.

"Okay." Sam stood. "Dismissed. Dr. Brown, if you'll come with me, I'd like to introduce you to your new assistant."

"Thank you, Colonel." Katie said, smiling. As she left with Sam, her eyes glanced over to Rodney again for the barest of moments. Then she was gone.

The three teammates shared a look as the scientist stood up. Ronon leaned back in his chair, threading his fingers in his lap with a small smile on his face. John stood, watching Rodney in amusement. "So," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "What was that all about?"

"Hm?" Rodney looked up, oblivious. "What was what?"

"That." John tipped his head, indicating the door Sam and Katie had just gone through. "Something going on between you two?"

"Oh, you know, nothing much." Rodney mumbled, busying himself shuffling papers and gathering them. "Just some dinner between friends and the like. Nothing serious."

A smile broke out on Teyla's face, and John looked delighted. "You fixed things between you, didn't you?"

Giving a long, suffering sigh, Rodney looked up in resignation. "No, nothing is fixed." He admitted, frustration lacing his voice. "But we _are_ back to being friends, at least."

Ronon stood up. "It's a start." He commented.

Rodney looked up, his expression one of profound thought and hope. "You think?"

"Sure." John agreed. "The best relationships start with friendship, you know."

Rodney blinked. "Huh."

–SGA–

"Down here is where we study the plants the different teams bring back." Katie said, spreading her one arm to indicate the hot and humid room full of lush, green growing things. "There's evidence that a few of them might be of some value to us, but we haven't found anything monumental yet."

Alex turned, staring at the immensely varied flora. "This is amazing." She said, her eyes wide with awe.

"It really is." Katie agreed, a smile of satisfaction and contentment on her face as she surveyed her 'garden.' As her new assistant wandered the room, Katie watched with an expression of pleasure that someone else admired her work and had the same passion for plants that she had.

"So," Alex turned, pressing her gloved hands together as her eyes sparkled. "Where do I start?"

–SGA–

Rodney followed John, tripping over tangled tree roots as they made their way through what reminded John distinctly of a bamboo forest. The trees surrounding them were tall and slender, reaching towards the sky in many brown and red stalks. Long, slender leaves spread out into the air in brilliant yellow, red, and deep purple, whispering softly in the breeze.

"What are we even doing here?" Rodney complained as he tripped yet again. "There's nothing here; no energy signatures–"

"We're exploring." John answered, squinting up through his sunglasses to the forest canopy. There was a sudden slipping sound behind him and a startled cry. Turning quickly he discovered Rodney lying in the middle of a wet patch of leaves, looking distinctly annoyed. "You okay?" John asked.

Mouth set in a displeased, tight line, Rodney glanced up. "Yes." he spat. "No thanks to these!" Grabbing a handful of the long leaves he crushed them in his fist and held them up.

Waiting patiently while Rodney tossed the leaves aside and stood, John took a deep breath, feeling the fresh, cool air fill his lungs.

"Oh, nice."

He glanced at his friend.

Rodney looked up, and held his hand aloft. "Sap."

The corner of John's mouth quirked up. "Well," he offered helpfully. "Maybe you shouldn't _crush_ the leaves when you pick them up."

"Yes. Thank you. I'll remember that next time." Rodney retorted. As they began their trek once again, he rubbed his hands furiously together to rid his palm of the milky-white substance.

"So," John ventured. "What exactly is going on between you and Dr. Brown, anyway?"

"Nothing." was the sullen reply. "She _is_ finally talking to me again, at least. I don't know, I think I messed it up with her."

"Ah, give her some time. She'll warm up to you."

"See, that's the problem." Rodney held up his finger, jabbing it into the air. "She did, and I totally blew it."

John surveyed the forest before them as they walked. "You? Really?"

"Oh, ha ha. It was during the quarantine crisis. I was stuck down in the plant lab with her, and–" there was a pause as Rodney threw out his hand to keep his balance, another patch of wet leaves attempting to pull his foot out from under him. "Well, suffice it to say I was myself."

"Ah." Understanding filled John's voice.

"Oh, hey, look at that– I'm bleeding."

The curious, puzzled tone to Rodney's voice did nothing to calm the rush of concern as John spun around on his heel, half expecting to see the scientist turning pale and fainting just as a horde of enemies made their presence known. Instead he saw Rodney standing with a puzzled expression on his face, staring at the palm of his hand. A nasty scrape cut across the skin, blood welling up where the skin had peeled back in patches.

"When did that happen?" John exclaimed.

"I don't know." Rodney glanced back, the skin puckered between his eyes as John opened his pack and pulled out the first aid kit. "I thought I felt my hand hit something when I slipped a second ago, but…" he glanced back at his hand, the frown deepening when John wiped the scrape with a disinfectant wipe. "Huh."

"What?" John asked, peeling open a band-aid.

"It doesn't hurt."

"Well, maybe it wasn't too dirty, then."

"No," Rodney said. "I mean _it doesn't hurt_. It doesn't even sting."

John stared at him with a puzzled frown. Then he looked down at the hand. Mouth pursed in curiosity, he poked at the bleeding palm with his finger. "Feel that?" he questioned.

"No." Rodney looked up, blue eyes wide with wonder. He shook the finger of his uninjured hand. "Maybe…" Turning he looked around, searching the ground.

"What?" John watched in confusion.

Grabbing a handful of leaves, Rodney brought them back. "Hold out your arm." he instructed.

John pulled back. "Why?"

"Just trust me." Rodney waited until John hesitantly complied, and then he pulled out the pocketknife he had hidden behind his back and cut the top of John's forearm.

"Ow!" John yelled, snatching his arm back and staring as blood beaded along the line. He turned a marked frown upon his friend. "Hey!"

"Just– hold it out– thank you." Rodney then crushed the leaves in his hands and rubbed them until the milky-white sap started to run free. Then he spread it over the cut.

"What are you…!" John suddenly stopped, and a curious expression filled his face. "Huh."

Rodney looked up, his eyes wide and a half smile on his expectant face. "Well?"

Still staring at his arm, John flexed his hand and watched the cords move in his forearm under the cut. Then he poked at it. Hard. Looking up he blinked at his friend. "Cool."

–SGA–

The two botanists hunched over their respective spots at the lab table, studying the sap of the leaves under microscopes and going over test results and charts, occasionally drawing close together to compare notes before returning to their own work. John and his team had brought back armloads of 'bamboo' branches and loads of leaves, leaving the lab in a state of disarray for a little while.

Pausing in her studies, Katie pushed a strand of red hair behind an ear and glanced over at her assistant. Alex had thrown herself into the work in the plant lab whole-heartedly, and the last few days had been some of the best Katie could remember in a long while. It got terribly lonely sometimes, working by herself. Alex was full of energy and always laughing about something, and she had an underhanded type of humor that was both wry and ironic. Katie had found herself eventually opening up about her 'relationship' with Rodney, and found in Alex a close confidant and friend.

"I think he's insecure."

Looking up, Katie frowned. "What?"

"Rodney; I think he's insecure."

"Please." Katie chuckled, returning her attention to her microscope. "He's got an ego the size of a galaxy."

"Nn– about his work." Alex conceded. "But when it comes to a meaningful relationship, I think he's insecure. I mean, think about it: numbers and science he knows better than the back of his hand, right? But what about his social skills?"

"They tank."

"Right. And I think he _knows_ they tank. _Really_ tank. For someone who likes to be in control, that would have to be the worst thing in the world."

Katie thought about what Alex had just said, and slowly nodded. "I guess I could see that. But he _did_ break if off with me; the classic line– 'it's not you, it's me.'"

"Maybe he really meant it." Alex mumbled, eyes pressed tight against the microscope's eyepiece.

Katie glanced at her. "You think?"

A grin flashed across Alex's face. "It's _Rodney_."

"It's who?" Sam asked as she entered the lab, a small smile on her face.

The two women glanced at each other, and chuckled. "Rodney." Alex said.

"Ahh– say no more." Sam's eyes widened knowingly. Stopping in front of their table she faced them, gesturing to the leaves and samples of sap. "So, what can you tell me?"

"Well," Katie moved out from behind her microscope, notes in hand. "These trees seem to be an evolved relative of Bambusa arundinacea– the Spiny Bamboo, or Thorny Bamboo–" At Sam's patient look she continued. "The leaves of that particular species of bamboo have been used for centuries to treat asthma, the common cold, etcetera– and it has a toxin that kills mosquito larvae when the parent isn't smart and lays its eggs in the stem."

Sam crossed her arms and tipped her head, her expression one of intense concentration and interest as Katie continued.

"_This_ species seems to have very, very strong anesthetic qualities in its leaves– you just _spread_ the sap on your skin, and the nerves are instantly numb– for hours."

Though her blue eyes sparked with excitement, Sam held her enthusiasm in check– for the time being. "Any drawbacks?"

Glancing at Alex, who couldn't stop grinning, Katie shook her head, a smile spreading itself on her face. "No. There are no harmful aftereffects that we can find, and because it only affects the nerves it comes into contact with there's no chance of administering an overdose, either. We'll have to do more testing on it, obviously, but–" she took a deep breath. "It's like the perfect anesthetic."

A grin finally flashed its way onto Sam's face. "Guys, this is incredible!" she beamed. "I don't have to tell you what an important discovery this is."

Glancing at one another, Katie and Alex laughed.

–SGA–

Late that night, as all of Atlantis slept except for a few night–owls, something shifted in the pile of branches left in the plant lab. Leaves rustled, and from under the protective foliage a soft, cotton-like cocoon split open, and several black legs pushed their way out.

The hallways were dark as it scurried along the floor. It had been in its cocoon for a long time, growing and maturing. It hadn't eaten in all that time.

Something came towards it, a group of several creatures– two males and a female, holding sticks. They talked quietly about their late-night sparring, and did not notice the many eyes looking down at them from the corner of the wall and ceiling where it had hidden itself. Their blood smelled hot, fresh, and the pain in its belly increased.

Cautiously it followed, keeping to the shadow of the ceiling. They split off into separate rooms, the doors sliding shut behind them, and it hissed in frustration. Then it found the vent; a way in to where it wanted to go. It was cool in there, with a slight breeze, and its legs carried it quickly through the dark tunnels and around the many bends and curves. Finally it found an opening, and slowly peered through. Below it was another one of those creatures, a male, laying still on his side and breathing evenly. Moving silently it crept from the vent, moving down the wall to the soft material the creature slept on. Slowly, cautiously, it crept even closer until the heat of blood was a hair's breadth away. Two grooved, hollow-tipped pinchers opened and extended– and then sweet heat was filling its belly. The creature never moved, sleeping peacefully.

Just then there was a heavy rumble of thunder, the signal that a storm had begun, and the creature started to roll, waking. At first he seemed to be about to drift away again– but then, from the corner of his eye, he saw it.

It clung to his neck fiercely, its hunger not yet abated, but as something struck it painfully upon its back it gave up the fight and let loose, scuttling away faster than the other creature could move and retreating back to its vent. The male could not follow, and it was glad– but it was still hungry.

–SGA–

Ronon joined John in the hall outside of the infirmary. "Hey," he greeted the half-awake man. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." John rubbed his one eye furiously, then scrubbed his hair. "Some kind of emergency."

Teyla and Rodney were already there, with Katie and Alex. Sam and Jennifer looked up from a young marine, lying back on the bed everyone was crowded around. "Colonel. Ronon." Sam greeted them, looking back down.

"What's going on?" John asked, his eyes falling to the object of everyone's attention. He recoiled at the sight of the two angry, large puncture wounds on the marine's neck. "Whoa! What the heck?"

"I didn't feel anything," the marine said, staring up at him with wide eyes. "I just woke up and saw this _thing_ on my neck."

"What did it look like?" Sam asked.

"Um–" he swallowed, thinking as Jennifer probed the wounds. "It was black, with four really big eyes, and it had these really long legs– like a spider, only it had just four."

"How big was it?" Ronon asked.

"The size of a small dog?"

John grimaced, and rubbed his own neck. "Bugs." he muttered. "I hate bugs."

"Hey, do you feel that?" Jennifer asked, her brows furrowed as she poked her finger into the punctures.

The marine frowned. "Um– no."

As Jennifer straightened with a sigh, Ronon watched her quietly. "What?" he asked.

"The area around the puncture wounds is completely numb." she said. "What I just did should have caused him at least _some_ pain."

"Is he going to be okay?" Sam asked, her arms crossed in concern.

Jennifer nodded. "It didn't drink too much blood, and I don't see any sign of permanent damage."

Rodney raised his hand. "Wait, wait, wait, wait– did you just say it_ drank his blood_?"

Before Jennifer could answer, the marine spoke up. "Yeah, it did."

John quickly became all business. "Where did it go?"

The marine thought a moment. "After I hit it with my shoe it crawled up the wall and into the ventilation."

"Oh, great. So it's running loose in Atlantis." Rodney swept his hands up and dropped them.

Teyla's attention was pulled to the two botanists, who were frantically talking to one another with expressions that became more and more worried. A moment later Alex left the infirmary at a brisk jog.

"Where is she going?" Rodney asked.

"This thing has only just appeared, right?" Katie asked.

Jennifer nodded.

"Well," Katie glanced around at all the faces turned to her. "It had to have gotten here somehow. Maybe from another planet."

"Please," Rodney scoffed. "There's no way something like that could have made it through the gate unless–" he stopped, his eyes widening.

"Unless it was carried in _on_ something or _in_ something, something we brought back." Katie finished.

Ronon frowned, crossing his arms. Jennifer looked confused. "I'm sorry–" she said. "Am I missing something?"

"Four days ago we brought back a large amount of branches and leaves from the bamboo planet." Teyla explained, her face displeased. "It is possible that we brought the creature here ourselves,"

"Possibly in its larvae stage." Rodney added. One could see his mind racing, putting the pieces together. "Which would explain why it didn't show up right away and why we didn't see it when we brought the samples back."

Alex returned to the infirmary in a rush, her dark hair a mess and her breathing heavy. She held in her hands a rather large branch still covered in dozens of leaves. "Here." she said, still out of breath. Pushing aside the leaves she revealed a large, soft cocoon plastered to the stem, hidden by the thick foliage. It was torn open and empty.

"Oh boy." Rodney groaned.

"Were there any others?" John asked.

Alex shook her head. "No. This was the only one."

"Thank goodness!" Rodney exclaimed in relief.

Pushing her hair back behind her ears, Alex set the branch down against the wall and shook her finger, thoughts racing in her dark eyes. "You said you didn't feel it biting you, right?" she asked the marine.

He nodded.

More thoughts snapped in her eyes, and she began to pace. "What if this thing is like the Monarch Butterfly?"

Teyla frowned. "I– do not understand." she admitted.

"On Earth there's this plant called Milkweed." Alex explained, her hands moving as she talked. "It contains a toxin that makes most herbivores sick if they eat it. When the Monarch Butterfly is still a larvae it eats the Milkweed, and stores the toxins in its body. The stored toxin is what makes it poisonous to predators. Now, what if this thing does the same? What if it eats the leaves of this plant–" she pointed at the branch. "When it's a larvae, and stores the anesthetic in its body?"

"To use on its prey when it feeds as an adult!" Katie pointed excitedly at her.

Sam nodded, giving Alex and Katie a quick, approving glance. "That would explain it." she said.

"So anyone could be fed on and not know it?!" Rodney exclaimed in dismay. "Oh, this just gets better and better!"

"So how does that help us?" John wondered, chewing his bottom lip. "How do we catch it?"

Jennifer thought for a moment, pressing her hands together. "Well, it hardly fed enough for a creature its size." she said. "So it's going to go wherever there's food."

"Right." John turned to Sam. "If we have everyone in this building gather in one place–"

"We'll know right where it's going and can prepare for it." Sam nodded at him. "Let's do it."

–SGA–

The Gate room and control room buzzed with whispered conversations and expressed concerns. Armed soldiers guarded each room where personnel had been gathered, posted around the openings to each vent. Ronon stood by John and Teyla, his gun held ready. Rodney held his gun to his shoulder, an expression of fear on his face– yet he remained steady. When a scraping noise reached their ears they all spun, listening.

"Oh, no." Rodney moaned.

"I mention I hate bugs?" John asked with a hushed voice, his gun pressed to his shoulder. "Especially the ones that suck your blood?"

Ronon risked a slight smile while Teyla glanced at their leader from the corner of her eye. The air in the room became heavy with static-like fear and anticipation, everyone listening as the scraping noise grew closer and closer. Then it stopped.

Glancing at one another, John, Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla slowly advanced towards the vent the noise had been coming from. They stopped several feet away, eyes squinting as they tried to see into the darkened tunnel.

"Wait!" Ronon hissed. "There."

Light reflected off of four black eyes, waiting silently and still in the shadows. The marine had told them how big it was, but somehow, seeing it in person, its size still gave John a nasty shock. "Holy… moly." he whispered.

It waited, watching them. Sometimes it would pull back slightly, and then it would move forward, as if warring with its hunger and its instinct to stay hidden. It followed their every move, and two sharp, grooved pinchers starting to click together, its legs fidgeting and twitching. On a hunch John slowly, slowly moved closer– just a little.

It was enough.

Hunger winning out as a source of food moved within range the creature shot forward out of the vent, leaping with its four legs outstretched and its pinchers open, aiming for John's face. There were yells and screams and the rapid sound of gunfire and a terrible screeching– and then all was still.

John still held his gun to his shoulder, heart pounding fast in his chest. At the base of the wall a decimated black body lay, the remaining pieces of legs twitching, ooze and guts spattered against the wall and on the floor. There was a gagging sound somewhere in the room, and Rodney moaned, turning his eyes away from the sight.

Lowering his gun, John nodded, slowing his breathing. "Well," he said. "That went better than expected."

–SGA–

Teyla, Rodney, and Ronon sat in the commissary eating a late-night dessert. "I don't know about you," Rodney said, enjoying a bowl of ice cream. "But I am moving my bed out from under the vent in my room."

"Why?" Ronon asked with a mouth full of cake. "Thing's dead."

"Yes, but that's not the point–" Rodney started to explain.

Teyla smiled, then turned as a small form suddenly dropped into the seat next to her. "Hello, Alex."

"Hi," The dark-haired woman flashed everyone a smile, then leaned on the table conspiratorially. "You won't believe what Katie has."

Teyla tipped her head.

"She showed it to me after we closed up the lab today; it's a remote control spider." Alex grinned and held up her hands. "It's this big!"

Rodney stared. "She does? She has that?"

Alex nodded. "It's got these rubber legs on either side that wiggle as you drive it around."

The scientist blinked. "Huh."

Teyla laughed, shaking her head as she returned her attention to her carrot cake.

Ronon put his fork on his empty plate, brushed a crumb from his lip, and stood. "I'm gonna go to bed." he said. "'Night."

"Goodnight, Ronon." Teyla said warmly.

"Yeah, 'night." Rodney poked distractedly at his ice cream.

Jumping to her feet, Alex followed him, jogging to catch up, his long strides carrying him out of the commissary in no time. "Hey!" she called when she caught him in the hall. "Hey, Ronon,"

He paused as she reached his side. "Yeah?"

"Katie lent me the spider." Alex said, and a devilish light entered her eye. "Care to join in on a little prank?"

For a second Ronon stared at her, then the corner of his mouth curled. "On who?"

–SGA–

John sat up in his bed with his legs crossed before him, happily reading_ War and Peace_ and slowly munching on some chips from a badly crinkled bag next to him. As his eyes scanned the page he was unaware of two figures crouching outside his door, whispering quietly to one another.

"Okay," Alex whispered. "Now you just push this stick here to make it go forward."

"Spider's in position?" Ronon asked, holding the control in his hands.

She nodded, grinning. "Put it in place before he went in."

A quick, rare grin flashed across the Satedan's face. "Let's do it."

Still completely oblivious to the two conspirators at his door, John continued to read, sliding a potato chip from the bag and putting it in his mouth, crunching down contentedly. Then he heard a scraping noise. He froze mid-chew, his blue eyes growing wide. It was coming from the vent above him. Slowly he looked up– and a black creature with long legs landed on his face.

Ronon's face split into a grin of silent laughter, and Alex crouched beside him shaking, laughing into her hands as yells and crashes and all sorts of noise broke the silence within the room. It seemed to go on forever, and Alex held her ribs, tears rolling down her cheeks. Then all grew quiet again. Curious, she leaned close to the door to listen, when suddenly it opened, and a disheveled and panting colonel glared down at them with wild, blue eyes.

"You." he hissed.

Shrieking Alex scrambled back, gained her feet and took off down the hall with Ronon close behind. Their laughter echoed down the passageway. John stared after them, then looked down at the mangled, limp remote-controlled creature in his hand, its rubber legs dangling pitifully. A grin spread across his face, and he chuckled as he closed the door. "Kids."

* * *

–SGA–

* * *

Cast 

Colonel Samantha Carter………Amanda Tapping

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard………Joe Flanigan

Dr. Rodney McKay………David Hewlett

Teyla Emmagan………Rachel Luttrell

Ronon Dex………Jason Momoa

Alex Hinata………Jessica Alba

Dr. Jennifer Keller………Jewel Staite

Dr. Katie Brown………Brenda James

* * *


End file.
